Asking AI a question? Say please. It’s important
Eddie Muñoz learned something weird about writing effective questions, or "prompts” for artificial intelligence engines like ChatGPT. If your prompts are polite, AI's answers might have less bias. They might have fewer mistakes and omissions, too. They might even have...
Attempted theft by phishing and phone
... a sheepish admission and lessons learned A friend recently called a member of the All Net Connect team to sheepishly admit a mistake. (To respect our friend's privacy, let's call him "Dick.") He had received an email, supposedly from Norton, the anti-virus...
CrowdStrike crash in a nutshell (or a kernel)
A line of code should have read "0000291." Instead, it read "0000000." That was it. (Sort of.) Within hours, millions of computers worldwide were "borked"*—plunged into Microsoft's "blue screen of death (BSoD)." The victims included Windows machines in the Black...
Simple as “3-2-1” (or, a photographer saves the data)
This is the golden rule for safely backing up data: 3-2-1. There's a story behind the rule. But first, here's a quick review: Keep three copies of data. Use two different media. Store a third copy off-site. Photographer Peter Krogh didn't...
Network protection in winter (which ain’t over)
In the photo above, from the blizzard of 1966, a North Dakota DOT employee stands next to power lines, which might or might not have been working.* My brother Bill asked our team if the extreme cold in South Dakota earlier this month caused any network problems for...
XDR: what is it and why should I care?
XDR stands for "extended detection and response." It's among the latest generation of tools to protect computer networks from the most sophisticated cybercriminals. XDR is especially important for businesses with small to mid-size networks because it provides...
Five ways to avoid network failures
Before All Net Connect Computer networks can be complicated, but you can avoid most network failures at most basic network level—your physical infrastructure. Network infrastructure includes things you can see. Look for potential problems with cables, cords,...
Source docs for new AI safety rules
Most people agree that artificial intelligence (AI) should be regulated. That includes politicians, talking heads, bureaucrats, businesspeople, engineers, scientists and tech bros. Even MSPs.* With that thought in...
A phishing attack from “halonjohnny3”
My brother Bob, founder of All Net Connect, preaches creating a "culture of security." He has a point. Last week, All Net's culture of security protected my bank account from a would-be "phishing" thief called "<halanjohnny3@gmail.com>". (Do NOT send an email to...
A firewall alone can’t keep your business safe
Neither will anti-virus software. Even major security enterprises like LastPass and SolarWinds, using sophisticated technology, are not immune to attacks by persistent cybercriminals. Both companies were hacked due to employee error. One employee was an intern,...
Do you feel lucky? (or how to start a small business)
I knew that creating a startup would be risky. Experts say only 30 percent of small businesses are still going after 10 years. We've been around since 1998, so I guess we won the small-business lottery. If you're already a lottery winner, you can skip this post. If...
Artificial intelligence and the “grandparent scam”
Grandparents can be a soft touch, as senior members of the All Net Connect team can attest. Got grandkids? You're eager to help them. So if they call to say they're in trouble, it's easy to be fooled—especially when scammers us artificial intelligence (AI). You might...
Social engineering (phishing, spear phishing and other cyber scams)
Click the image to read the report. Cyber criminals use "social engineering" to steal data and money and otherwise wreak digital havoc. The engineering is "social" because the bad guys mimic people or institutions we trust. They...
Even in a war zone, scammers gonna scam
Cyber criminals work throughout the world. Even in war zones.
Marcus Aurelius: tech bro
Picture this. It's early Monday morning. You've driven through a blizzard on Interstate 90, with great care, because you absolutely must be at the office for a video conference with new clients. You're nervous, but prepared. You turn on your computer. You...